Are You Ready To Play The Game
by Little-Angry-Kitten
Summary: "Don't you dare say those words when you don't know what they mean." High School!AU


**A/N: So I posted on my facebook how I wanted to do a HS!AU for Huntingbird and then Irem (a dear friend) said how she'd like to read about Clintasha in it too and it got out of control after that! At that point she introduced me to Stony too so I had to add it in the story so essentially all this is her fault! There are going to be two more stories in this series, a Stony next and a Clintasha after that to wrap it up.**

* * *

_**I've been sensing a tension in your delay**_  
_**hesitation in drawing the velvet drop**_  
_**There's no way of unravelling the plot**_  
_**without taking the slide in the rabbit hole with me**_

_**Tainted Love - Kwan**_

* * *

"You should just ask her out." Lance threw a dirty glance her way but Skye was too busy painting her nails to notice it. Not that she would pay him any mind, she had the bad habit of brushing everything he said off.

He met her and Grant the first day he moved to Boston. His father had transferred here from London and Lance and his mother had of course followed him. Lance was ten when Grant Ward approached their front porch hesitantly following a tiny thing dressed in a jean skirt and a hello kitty shirt.

He had eyed them both carefully but then the girl offered him a lolly and they kind of hit it off. Grant was ten like him and stayed with his uncle next to Lance's house while Skye stayed opposite them with her parents.

Skye was two years younger but apparently she and Grant were meant to be and he was going to be her husband when they grew up, like her daddy was to her mommy. Lance as the older one back then thought she was kidding, fate proved him very wrong though. Almost ten years later and Skye was indeed Grant's one and only and he doubted that would ever change.

Lance felt kind of jealous, it was so easy for them to find each other yet he found his one and she wouldn't even spare a glance his way unless they were drunk. Because apparently then they could shag and it would mean absolutely nothing, blame it on the alcohol and all. Whatever it's not like he cared anyway.

He would be out of here in less then five weeks, there was a scholarship back home waiting for him and he wasn't about to miss it. His crush on Bobbi would eventually wear off. If he was being honest it wasn't just a crush but that's what he kept telling himself. It made his life so much easier to put her under the 'just a hot girl' category than to actually admit that he had been head over heels for her since she joined their group in high school freshman year.

"Not that I want to get involved." Grant butted in. "But I think it's my duty as your best friend." He bubbled and Lance picked up his soccer ball ready to throw it on his head. It wasn't like it would be the first time he had to do it in order to help Grant stop mumbling and get to the point. "You should just take Skye's advice and ask Bobbi out. I mean you are very good looking, you have a nice body and relatively pleasant face. I don't see why she would turn you down." He said as he adjusted his glasses.

"Grant Ward!" Lance batted his eyelashes mockingly. "Say a little bit more and I'll think you are in love with me!" Skye bursted out laughing painting her toe in the process as Grant got all flustered.

"That's so not what I meant!" Grant whined child like and Lance couldn't help but smirk. He lived for moments like this, taking the Mickey out of Grant was the closet he got to having fun these days.

"Relax,babe." Skye said putting a calming hand on Grant's bicep. "Everyone knows you don't swing that way." She winked and something in her voice turned her words dirty. Maybe it was just the look she gave to her boyfriend and Lance averted his eyes from the pair. Of course he knew Grant wasn't gay no matter how close he got convincing him back when they were fourteen. Best April's Fool prank he ever pulled, it took Skye several hours to get Grant to stop doubting himself. "Besides we all know, Hunter, is just jealous we don't invite him for a threesome." She teased, her tongue pressing against her cheek.

"You got me, love." Lance shot back sarcastically. "I just can't help myself thinking about shoving it up your ass!"

"I'll shove my foot up your ass!" She barked and Grant pulled her back against him.

"Come on, sweetheart." Grant cut in trying to easy the tension between them. Not that they would actually try to hit each other or anything, but Lance and Skye occasionally enjoyed being on each other's throats. It helped them blow off some steam without actually hurting anyone they shouldn't. They could both be pretty mean if their minds were set on it.

"I'm sorry." He offered first and watched as Skye relaxed going back to fixing her toenails.

"I'm sorry too." She apologised a moment later. "Look, knowing my cousin I think you should just grow a pair and tell her your feelings. It's not like your don't screw every other weekend or that you're not in love with her. I think she might be into you too, she's always 'Lance this, or Lance that'. Plus you have been friends for years, you know her better than she knows herself."

That last one was actually true. He was the one to bring over butterscotch candy when Bobbi was on her period and the cramps were killing her, or the one to comfort her after every break up with some jock asshole that didn't treat her like he should have. Lance was the one she went to when things with her parents were tough or when Bobbi got into one of her 'I hate everything' moods.

He couldn't even count the times he had held her while she cried or let her take all of her anger out on him. The times he sat by her and quoted Big Bang Theory or Community to her when she was feeling down because Sheldon and Abed never failed to make her laugh. It broke him, that he could give her everything she asked for yet Bobbi seemed to look at him just like a good friend and occasional fuck buddy.

"It's not that easy." He admitted twirling the ball in his hands. "Besides she's with Clint now and he makes her happy. That's all I ever wanted for her." Skye's gaze locked with his and he felt like she could see right through him and maybe she did. Everyone seemed to know his feelings for Bobbi except her.

~oOo~

It was always a dark room and a couple of beers that spelled disaster for them. The few times he found himself in her arms were always after a lame party, she would climb her way up the tree that was right beside his window and slip inside his room without him even noticing. A small voice inside his head told him that it wasn't right, that he should sent her away but he never did. Bobbi never drank herself stupid, even when she was tipsy she knew very well what she was doing. Lance would never take advantage of her like that, his mama had taught him better than that.

"Hunter." She whispered in his ear seductively as she slipped under his sheets. He wasn't asleep, actually he was wide awake as her warm body brushed over his and she climbed on top of him. "Come on, Lance!" She taunted as she grounded her hips against his. "I know you are faking it." She murmured and leaned over him as if trying to drive him insane.

"Bobbi." He groaned, his length already hardening as she settled on his lap. "What are you doing here?" He hissed as her slender fingers took a hold of him over his boxers.

"I want to have sex." She giggled and her lips dropped on his neck, kissing and licking the way she knew he liked.

"You have a boyfriend for that." He stated plainly, his voice hollow. His hands reached for her hips and he stilled her movements earning him a small whine as she tried to move.

"But I want to have sex with you." Bobbi tried to kiss him again but he turned his head the other way. "I need you, Lance." She breathed against his neck and he was lost. It all came down to this, Bobbi needing him and he being there for her, always and forever. Throwing the covers away from their bodies he flipped them over and pressed her down against the soft mattress.

"We can't keep doing this." Lance dropped a kiss on her nose and she wrapped her long legs around his waist, pulling him closer to her. "You are with Clint, angel." He remind her brushing his thumb over cheek gently.

"But I want you!" She whined again pushing down his boxer briefs. He rested his forehead against her shoulder and hissed as she guided him inside her. It's not like he was going to deny her anyway. As noble as he wanted to pretend to be, Lance was far from it. His breath hitched as her tight walls fluttered around him.

"This is the last time." He hissed through clenched teeth and finally gave in to his desires. Moments like this were what kept him going, really. Even if it meant he would be ripped to pieces when she went back to her boyfriend.

~oOo~

"It's ridiculous, right?" Romanoff's voice brought him out of his very dirty daydream. He had no idea why he tortured himself by watching Bobbi's cheerleading practice. He could always blame it on Skye! She was the one that dragged him down here twice a week to wait for her and Grant to finish practising so they could head back together.

Through the years focusing on Bobbi had been his favourite pass time. It wasn't only about her body, everything on Bobbi seemed so perfect to him. There just wasn't a part of her he didn't love, even his father pulled him aside once to talk about it like men did. He told him about how he met his mother and how he felt the same way Lance did, like he wasn't worthy of her. It took his father five shots of tequila and a pep talk from his best friend to man up and ask her out. And here they were years laters with a kid they loved more than life itself and still married happily. Lance nodded along and waited for him to finish, it wasn't the first time he heard the story either.

His situation with Bobbi wasn't so easy, though. It wasn't a case of being a tiny bit of a wuss, Lance just couldn't bring all their world to the ground because he loved her. Not without knowing how she felt, he didn't want to lose her as a friend. If that lie they were living was what she was willing to offer he would take it.

"Huh?" He said never really paying her any mind. Natasha had moved here a year and a half ago and had practically turned the school upside down. For starters she dethroned Bobbi from her status as the high school queen. Then there was the fact that she was best friends with Steve Rogers, the team captain and the girlfriend of the school's genius the infamous Tony Stark. All that according to the gossip going around of course, courtesy of one bitter Victoria Hand.

Lance being Lance though knew the truth behind the lies. Steve was indeed Natasha's best friend but he was also very, very gay! So gay he could barely function and of course he was in 'super duper secret relationship' with Tony.

Lance found one late evening by mistake when he caught them going at it under the bleachers. Of course he wasn't a snitch and didn't care about other people's sex lives so when Natasha explained the situation to him he swore to keep their secret. Somewhere between her admitting she was acting like a front for Tony and Steve (or Stony as she called them affectionately) and his unrequited love for Bobbi their friendship was born.

"You are screwing Morse." She said flipping over to her stomach, she tucked a hand under her chin and lowered her shades. "I'm screwing Barton, it's pretty funny, if not a little messed up. We are a proper teenage American movie!" She teased pushing her breasts out a little. If one thing was true about Natasha Romanoff that was that she was smoking hot! She was a little on the short side for his taste, he preferred women with long legs like Bobbi, but with a perfect body. Nice perky breasts, with an even nicer ass and a pair of green bedroom eyes that could even make the holiest man a sinner.

"Are you flirting with me?" He finally spared her a glance raising a lone eyebrow. Natasha was beautiful but she wasn't his kind of girl. His type of medicine was currently on the football field with her eyes narrowed and locked on them. He could already see the vein on her forehead pulsing. If Bobbi strongly disliked one person in this school that was Natasha.

"I just enjoy making Morse miserable." Natasha's laugh echoed around them as she crawled over to him. Sliding on his lap she dropped her legs on either side of him and Lance caught sight of Barton from the corner of his eye. Of course neither Clint nor Bobbi made a move to get closer to them or cause a scene. It wouldn't do for the school's favourite couple to shatter the perfect image they had created, right? "That vein on her forehead is about to pop any moment now." Her eyes sparkled with mischief as he reached up to push an auburn curl behind her ear.

"You are a mean person." He smirked making her laugh again.

"You know me too well." She teased and finally stood up. This little show should last for at least a week of gossip, Vicky would have a field day. "Clint is not going to break it off with her." Natasha admitted turning to face him sadly. Her back was to everyone else but he could see the pain on her face. Lance could even feel it, the same ache she felt because they were both in love with two fools that couldn't accept the fact that their relationship had ended for years. "I'm counting on you to make her see, Hunter." She said with a pointed look.

Which brought them back to their original problem. Bobbi and Clint had been together way too long for them to just break it off so easily. It didn't matter that they didn't have feelings for each other anymore, one does not mess around with a high school's balance like that! "Then you are counting on the wrong person." He tried to give her a smile but it turned into a frown.

"Oh I don't think I do!" Natasha called over her shoulder as Tony appeared at the bottom of the bleachers with Steve by his side. Lance watched as she put up a better show by throwing herself in Tony's arms, rubbing their noses together. That's what gave them away to him in the first place, really. The absence of PDA. Tasha and Tony never kissed. What kind of teenage couple didn't exchange saliva in every chance they get?

~oOo~

"You and Romanoff were getting kind of cozy today." Bobbi finally broke the silence between them. She hadn't said a word to him since he picked her up after practice and drove them back to his house. They had a biology test tomorrow and had planned a studying session. Ward was supposed to join them too but he bailed at the last minute because Skye needed help with her algebra. It's not like Ward had to study any more though, he was already top of their class. They had his notes anyway so they should be fine.'c or as fine as the two of them could be locked in a room together.

"Natasha and I are friends." He stated, eyes never leaving his textbook. Bobbi was currently dressed in a pair of his boxers and one of his old Doctor Who T shirts and he hadn't seen anything sexier in his entire life. It was the attire she had claimed early on in their let's call it friendship. Something about her jeans been uncomfortable he didn't ask much, for him it was enough seeing her in his clothes. Which led to many nights of torturing himself with the images she painted because there was one thing that Barbara Morse wasn't and that was his.

"I'm just saying..." She trailed off flipping over on her back stretching her body against the carpeted floor. Her shirt rode up exposing a good partition of her tanned skin. Lance had to bite back a moan as memories of how her soft flesh felt against his hands came rushing back. "Isn't she like a thing with Stark?" She pressed more and Lance threw a glare her way.

"Natasha and I are _just_ friends." He repeated curtly. "I'm allowed to have other female friends."

"I didn't say you can't have other friends." She shot back defensively. "I'm just saying that she shouldn't have dry humped you in front of the entire school." Bobbi sat up pushing her books away, her gaze locking with his. Something shifted in the air around them and Lance tensed. They were going down a road they had been before and she should know better. It never ended well.

"Just because you can't short out your priorities doesn't mean everyone is the same way." He bite out harshly. "Tasha and I are friends, Tony knows about it and trusts us both enough to know that we wouldn't do something like that."

Actually Tony knew way more than just that. He knew about Natasha's relationship with Barton, and about Lance's affair with Bobbi and Tony pretty much knew anything that went around in school. He was better informed than Hand herself to be honest but he used his knowledge better. Instead of spreading it around he kept it to himself and exchanged it for favours, smart cookie that he was.

"So she's Tasha now, isn't she?" Bobbi asked, her voice dripping venom.

"What's your problem, Barbara?" He finally snapped closing his book with a loud thud. "Last time I checked you were still with Barton. You have no right to have jealousy fits and if I _do _sleep with Tasha that's none of your business."

"The hell is not!" She barked as she shot up to her feet.

"Again," He repeated evenly. "You have a boyfriend, I don't know what the agreement between you two is like and I don't care enough to find out. He's the only one you have any control over. I'm your _friend _and nothing more. You said so." He ripped his gaze away from her face, Lance couldn't handle the pained look she gave him. That look was the reason he gave into her every single time but he had reached his limit.

There was nothing more to give anymore.

"It's complicated." She bite out wrapping her arms around herself. "Clint and I," She took a deep breath and tried to collect her thoughts. "You can't understand."

"I do and it's not." He snapped. "The only thing you've been doing the last year is fooling yourselves because clearly you're done! You are shagging me and he's been sweeping other chimneys. You know it, he knows it, everyone knows it!" Lance watched as she frantically pushed her books into her bag.

"Maybe it's better for me to leave." She said slipping out of his t shirt and reaching for her blouse.

"Maybe it's better you do." He said averting his eyes from her form allowing her some privacy.

~oOo~

"Rumour has it that you are chasing after my girlfriend." Barton's blonde hair shone as the sun fell against them. Lance barely acknowledged him, turning a page of his history book. Tony warned him about a pop quiz that morning and he had been busting his ass to memorise as much as possible. Of course he could have said something earlier but Tony was an arse like that.

"Which girlfriend?" He asked caustically. "The official one or your not so secret affair?" Barton took a step back like someone had just slapped him across the face. "You aren't the brightest marker on the box, are you, mate?" Lance snorted finally gracing Clint with some of his attention.

"I love Bobbi." Barton sounded like he had rehearsed those words time and time again.

"You don't love Bobbi. You love what she has to offer, you love her reputation. Dating the Captain of the Cheerleading Squad? It's like being the President when you are in high school." Lance never really got the American high school dynamics. That social status thing was bullshit to him and something he didn't really care about. He would prefer it if Bobbi actually felt the same way and wasn't driven by the desire to be on the top all the time.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Hunter." Barton stepped towards him and made a move to grab him from the front of his shirt but one look from Lance and he back off wisely. They both knew that if it came down to fist fights Lance could kick his ass. Those martial arts classes Skye's mother forced them all to take we're finally paying off.

"I have no time to waste on this anymore." Lance said seriously while he shut his book. "Bobbi is a big girl and she made her bed, now she has to lay on it. I'm done with her, she's all yours, mate." He was being bitter, Lance knew that, it wasn't like Bobbi had promised him forever. Barton seemed to relax until Lance opened his mouth again. "But if you hurt Natasha, and trust me that's not easy, you'll be a dead man walking Barton. So take my suggestion and fix this mess before it's too late. Natasha worths more than just a few shags." Just in time the first bell rang and Lance left Barton behind. Two weeks down and three more to go.

Twenty one more days and then he could be on a plane back home, away from all _this, _whatever this was.

~oOo~

"Something troubling you?" Grant was holding the boxing bag for him and Lance had to admit that he might have been a little more vicious with it today than he was on normal days. Just because he decided to end things with Bobbi didn't mean it didn't hurt like a bitch.

"Everything's peachy." He grunted as his fists hit the bag harder and harder but he welcomed the pain. It was an old friend to him the last few years. Lance hadn't spoke to Bobbi in days and it was starting to take its tall on him. It wasn't like he could do something about it though, she was still with Barton and Lance knew, he just knew that if he let her in again he would never be able to leave her and what they had.

"Bobbi hasn't been talking to anyone either." Grant tried to be casual about it, like he didn't knew what was going on. But Skye had some idea of how they worked, Lance was sure about that so in extend so did Grant. He tried to be passive about it, masking any kind of emotion that could give him away. If he was being honest he hadn't slept for what seemed years. Being away from her was the worst form of torture but he wasn't willing to share her either. "Look I suck at this alright?" Grant stepped away and held his hands up in surrender. "Skye wanted me to figure what's going on with you and her cousin cause Bobbi has been a pain in the ass more than usual and she won't even talk to Skye about it. We are your friends and we want to help."

"Thanks, mate , but you really can't." Lance shook his head and turned around walking towards the locker rooms, finally giving up on any kind of training. Boxing wasn't helping anyway.

"I know I'm not the most talkative person on this planet but you know I'm here if you need me, right?" Grant asked as he fell into step beside him.

"I do and thank you for that, Ward, but this is not something you can help with. She has to figure it out on her own."

~oOo~

By the time graduation roller around and his suitcases were all packed up Lance had given up on the idea of being with Bobbi. She didn't make any moves to contact him and her appearances with Barton became more regular. They always sat together at lunch, and on free periods and during practice after school, she even brought him with her a few times over dinner at Skye's house. Which resulted in him leaving the premises because as much of a masochist as he was Lance wasn't about to sit through _that. _

Grant and Skye tried to stay neutral for the most part but there were moments that Skye couldn't turn her back on her cousin. No matter how close she and Lance were Bobbi was her family. He wouldn't ask Skye to choose anyway, so he made everything easier by making himself invisible.

He did talk with Natasha a few times though and she only confirmed his suspicions. Barton had asked for some space and Natasha flipped him off claiming that it wasn't like they were in a relationship or something. Lance knew the truth though, this was hurting her as much as it hurt him. On the bright side she had gotten into the college she wanted so she would be out of Boston in a few weeks too, leaving Barton and this mess behind.

"I'm gonna miss you, you know." Skye whimpered, her bottom lip already quivering and Lance pulled her in a hug hiding his sad smile against her shoulder.

"I'm gonna miss you too, kiddo." He kissed her forehead and tighten his arms around her tiny body. "I mean who's going to be a pain on my ass now?" Skye swatted him at the back finally cracking a smile. "I kid! I kid!" He said finally letting go of her and taking a step back.

Grant was next on the goodbye list and after they exchanged a very manly hug (no, those weren't tears something just got into his eyes!) his friends left him alone in his old room for a while. In a few hours he would be back in London, to a place that felt like home, a place that felt safe. Because nothing was safe here anymore. He had considered staying back for a while but even he knew that there was no future with Bobbi so there was really no reason for him to be here.

"So you are leaving." Her voice sounded hollow but Lance could not afford to feel bad about it now.

"Looks like it." He said after a moment turning to face her. She was leaning against the doorway, her arms wrapped around her as if she was trying to physically hold herself together. But he really couldn't afford to fall over her feet because she batted her eyelashes at him again either. "What are you doing here, Barbara?"

"Am I not allowed to say goodbye too?" She stepped inside and moved towards him swiftly.

"You said it. You can leave now." He averted his from her face trying to avoid the hurt reflecting in her eyes.

"Lance I l-"

"Don't!" He barked pushing her away. "Don't you dare say those words when you don't know what they mean." Lance stalked out of the room before she could say anything else.

~oOo~

Living with his grandparents wasn't the brightest idea he ever had. While his grandmother took care of him the same way his mama did she was also very noisy. So five weeks into his stay Lance gave up and started looking for a flat. He found one relatively fast and foolishly thought that his roommates were as respectful of boundaries as he was. Leo and Jemma could give his nana a run for her money in shoving their noses into other people's businesses.

But they were too cute to be mad at so he let it slide. Within a week and half they actually moved from being 'just roommates' to being 'friends'. Lance would admit that the adorably annoying duo was a good company, they actually reminded him a lot of Skye and Ward. Which of course occasionally reminded him of Bobbi but Lance shoved the thoughts of her on the back of his mind before they could do any real damage.

"For the love of God! Turn it off!" Jemma's muffled voice reached his ears through the closed door. Maroon 5 had released a new song and apparently Leo was a big fan so he had been listening to it back to back for the last two days. It would drive Lance insane if it wasn't just a tiny bit catchy. The same didn't apply to Jemma too. A short knock brought him back to reality and he pushed his textbook aside. He wouldn't get any more studying done anyway. Even though he wasn't supposed to start for a few more weeks Lance liked to be prepared.

"Come in."

'Hello!" Jemma stuck her head inside. "Someone is looking for you." She said sweetly, too sweetly for it to be good. She pushed the door fully and revealed the tall person behind it.

"Nice shirt." The other woman smirked motioning to his Star Wars t-shirt.

~oOo~

"Nice shirt?" He asked baffled. "That's what you leading with?" Bobbi shook her head and stepped inside the room as Jemma left them alone.

"Three seconds in and there's already a tone!" She murmured moving towards him.

"This is not a tone!" Lance felt stomping his foot in anger but that wasn't so manly so he settled for crossing his arms over his chest. "This is my speaking voice when I'm upset with an unreasonable person!" He finally took her in, still as beautiful as the day he left her. "What did you do to your hair?!" He asked as his eyes settled on her brown locks.

"Ever heard of hair dye?" She shot back raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow unimpressed.

"I preferred you blonde!"

"I didn't do it for you." She said finally sitting down on his bed. It always got him how she could just walk into a room and own it. "I wanted a change."

"What are you doing here, Barbara?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"My life miserable for the past few years!" He hissed and she smiled batting her eyelashes at him.

"Well, other than that," She reached over and hooked her fingers on his belt-loops tagging him closer. Lance grumbled a little but eventually moved to stand in front of her. "I came to see you. I missed you." She admitted quietly.

"Bobbi…" He shook his head sadly, his arms itching to wrap around her.

"I broke up with Clint." The words left her mouth in one breath and it took him a few moments for his brain to fully process them. "We gave it one last try but it's hard to be with someone when your heart is not in it. Mine was in London and his moved to New York without even a goodbye." Lance thought _his _heart was about to burst, he had been waiting for those words for years. "High school is over you know, so-" His lips crushing on hers cut whatever she was going to say short.

He pulled her up and wrapped his arms tight around her waist. Bobbi melt into the kiss finally surrendering to what she had been fighting since they met. "I love you." He whispered resting his forehead against hers.

"I love you too." Three small words, yet so powerful. The one thing he'd been waiting for forever.

Their lives were finally falling into place.


End file.
